Anderson's party affiliation is unknown.
Anderson’s idea to invent such a brilliant piece of equipment came to her when she was visiting New York City on a cold snowy day. She noticed that the driver was not able to see out a clear window due to the snow.
When Anderson returned to Alabama, she sketched her wiper device on a streetcar. After many tries, she finally came up with one that worked. They were a set of wiper arms made out of wood and rubber. She attached them to a lever near the steering wheel of the driver’s side.
Anderson’s wipers were able to be removed during summertime and installed during wintertime.